Headmaster’s blog 16/12/22
Our last week of term had a festive feel from the outset, thanks to the snow, and ended with a number of activities to mark our forthcoming Christmas holidays.
Yesterday we enjoyed Christmas Jumper Day, with an array of merry and, in some cases, multi-coloured knitwear by both boys and staff, all raising funds for charity. After our School’s Christmas lunch, many boys spent their tutor time wrapping gifts for West London Mission’s shoebox appeal, and I’m delighted that we have supported this deserving cause once again. Then, following our Christmas raffle, a number of pupils stayed to watch staff (including myself) in our pantomime. Together, our Christmas raffle and pantomime raised over £2,700 for charity, a fantastic achievement. Thank you to my colleagues for taking part – I think it is safe to say that our Wetherby Senior panto tradition provides a great deal of fun for all, whether actor or audience!
Today concluded with our end-of-term assemblies, for our Middle School and Sixth Form at Hinde St Church, and for our Lower School at Hannah House. Both featured seasonal readings, carol singing and musical performances (visit our Instagram page to hear our fantastic Brass Band), plus an opportunity for our Jewish boys and staff to say a prayer and light candles for Chanukah.
Our Autumn Term has been filled with academic excellence, sporting success, and exciting co-curricular activities, so our review of the term (here) covers everything from our residential trips for new pupils to our Field Day trips in December, and from our brilliant Upper School play at RADA to our inspiring Sixth Form lecture series. Our Sport Department have also provided a review of this term (here), which shows how much boys have embraced the sporting opportunities available at Wetherby Senior, from representing our School to representing their Trib, alongside PE and Games lessons.
Our latest issue of The Barometer is out today, so I hope you can settle down to look at this, perhaps with a mince pie and hot drink, over the Christmas break. If you are interested in further reading material, then I offer my interview with Mums in the Wood, where I talk about our fantastic School to this parenting support network.
One other piece of information to share is that, behind the scenes this term, our PTA have been working very hard indeed with the Gold Standard Charitable Trust, and are now in the final stages of arranging Wetherby Senior’s first ever gala event to raise funds to support bursary pupils. Do keep an eye out in the first few weeks of next term, as I should then be able to share a date to save! It is shaping up to be a wonderful evening, in support of a very good cause that is so close to all our hearts here.
I’ll end by wishing everyone in our community a peaceful holiday, and I trust boys in Years 11 and 13 will remain productive over the next few weeks, as their mock GCSE and A Level exams start in January and all will want to give a good account of themselves.
All the best for 2023, and we look forward to welcoming our boys back to Marylebone on Tuesday 10th January.
Wetherby Senior sixth formers have been snapping around London, taking photos of what our capital city means to them.
Check out Wetherby Senior’s final issue of The Barometer for...
Wetherby Senior sixth formers have been snapping around London, taking...
Our last week of term had a festive feel from...
